Wendell Smallwood (center) is being held in West Virginia for allegedly attempting to get a witness to recant their story in a Wilmington murder case. He played high school football at Red Lion for three years and then graduated from Eastern Christian Academy in Elkton.(Photo: The News Journal)Buy Photo

A Delaware man was arrested Monday in West Virginia, where he is a running back on the West Virginia University football team, and will be charged with witness intimidation in a murder case, Wilmington police said Monday night.

Wendell Lynn Smallwood, 20, of Wilmington, was arrested as an out-of-state fugitive and is being held for extradition, Cpl. Mark Ivey said.

Smallwood tried to get a witness to recant statements implicating a friend of his charged with first-degree murder, Ivey said.

The fatal shooting occurred April 14, 2012, in the 2700 block of W. Fourth St. City resident Manuel Oliveras, 51, was fatally shot about 9 p.m. in the front courtyard of a row home near Greenhill Avenue and West Fourth Street.

Zakee Lloyd, then 19, of the 300 block of E. 24th St. in Wilmington, was arrested Jan. 8, 2013, charged with first-degree murder and is awaiting trial, Ivey said.

He was arrested one day after a New Castle County grand jury indicted him in the unsolved slaying, according to News Journal files.

Lloyd also was charged with firearm possession by a person prohibited and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony. He was ordered held without bail in Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington.

On multiple occasions in March and May 2013, Ivey said, Smallwood "called to try to get a witness to come and make a false statement to police recanting previous statements" that implicated Lloyd.

Police did not disclose how Smallwood was identified in the alleged witness tampering attempt or how the matter came to authorities' attention.

Smallwood played football for three seasons at Red Lion Christian, then played his senior season for the same coach at Eastern Christian Academy in Elkton, Maryland, after the Red Lion Christian football program was dismantled. He is going into his sophomore season as a running back at West Virginia. He played in 12 games as a true freshman last year, started one.

He finished third on the team in rushing with 39 carries for 221 yards and one touchdown, also had 11 catches for 132 yards.

He also was West Virginia's leading kickoff returner with 30 returns for 541 yards, and was expected to be a serious contender to become a starter this season.

Police do not yet know when Smallwood will be returned to Delaware, Ivey said.

Reporter Brad Myers contributed to this report.

Contact robin brown at (302) 324-2856 or rbrown@delawareonline.com. Find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @rbrowndelaware.